Ordinance boots oil depot out of Manila

Members of the Manila City Council crossed party lines Tuesday when they unanimously voted to approve on third and final reading a measure that would require oil companies to move out of the Pandacan area by January 2016.

Draft Ordinance No. 7461 reclassifies the area where the Pandacan oil depot is located from an industrial to a commercial zone. As a result, oil refineries which fall under the category of heavy industry will have to transfer their operations to another area.

It was scheduled for third reading last week but an error in the title of the published draft forced the city council to postpone deliberations until the necessary corrections had been made.

Councilor Jocelyn-Dawis Asuncion, the ordinance’s principal author, said she was happy that residents of Pandacan would soon be spared from the dangers posed by the presence of oil refineries in the area.

She cited last week’s explosion at Venezuela’s main oil refinery which left more than 50 people dead and 80 others injured.

Located near Malacañang Palace and surrounded by houses and business establishments, the Pandacan oil depot supplies about half of Luzon’s fuel needs and 82 percent of Metro Manila’s gasoline and diesel requirements.

Its presence has long been the subject of concern among residents who fear for their safety in case of a fire or terrorist attack.

Under the city’s zoning ordinance, the area where the depot is located is classified as a commercial zone. In March 2007, the Supreme Court ordered then Mayor Lito Atienza to close down the depot for the protection of residents.

The city council, however, passed Ordinance No. 8187 in 2009 which created heavy industrial zones in the district, thus allowing the oil companies to continue their operations.

Asuncion expressed hope that Mayor Alfredo Lim would approve the ordinance once it is forwarded to him. Lim also has the option to veto it.